The thin film plane-polarized intensity pickoff of the present invention differs from known concepts in that it uses a stabilized plane of polarized electromagnetic energy to measure angular position about a stabilized axis. Previously known wide-angle pickoffs used unpolarized electromagnetic energy as optical devices and other pickoff designs used either capacitance or magnetic field types. Apparatus of the present invention can be used as a wide-angle gimbal position pickoff for stabilized instruments or it can be used to measure angular position of unstabilized systems. The advantage over prior pickoff concepts, is that it eliminates gimbal wiring/slip ring torques.